


To See the Moon

by Heavens_Wheel



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Assassin AU kind of, Blood and Violence, Crime Fighting, Emotional, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of alcohol, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Minsung and hyunlix and other pairings just not in a romantic way, No Romance, Past Character Death, Physical Abuse, Plot, Softer Than It Looks, Undercover Missions, every character but some come in later than others, hyunjin and minho are dancers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavens_Wheel/pseuds/Heavens_Wheel
Summary: Nila. A prosperous city in Korea, where opportunities are available to all and nobody would dream of leaving elsewhere.The Alley. The dark part of Nila rumoured to be ruined with violence and drugs. And that's all true for the most part. But only one truly tangled in the web of the Alley would know about the real mess that takes place in these corners.An assassin hiding in the shadows. An assassin hiding in the public. An Alley boy with revenge slowly growing in his heart. Eight individuals get pulled into a game of hierarchy and violence whether they want to or not. And if they don't succeed soon, they might just be playing with their lives too.
Relationships: ALL PLATONIC, Han Jisung | Han & Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 18
Kudos: 31





	1. Someone Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers!  
> This is my first story I'm writing from scratch on this platform (Other than my already written story on Wattpad that I'm moving to a03, lol) I never give up on a story and I'm really excited for this one! It's my first story that is more on the darker side, because I've developed a liking for angst (and fluff too, don't worry readers. I need to have fluff!) I hope you guys enjoy!  
> I will be updating once a week and possibly more frequently, depending on the response this story gets. Thank you for picking up this story, I promise I will do my best to deliver the experience you are looking for <3  
> For world-building, I'm going for a more show not tell approach. So I'm sorry if things are a little bit confusing at first!

_It was only a single drop of blood, yet it still burnt._

_The boy quickly wiped his hand on his shirt to get rid of the red, but the feeling remained. He knew what he had done. He still couldn’t believe what he had done._

_He didn’t think things could get any worse until he heard the door slowly open, letting in whatever light still remained in the dark and dingy apartment._

_Leaving the boy to have to face whoever’s life he had forever ruined with an ignorant mistake._

“Hyunjin! Hwang Hyunjin!”

That dark room had felt so real that Hyunjin’s eyes almost stung from the light coming through the window next to him. Not to mention his neck was a complete goner with the position his head was in on his desk.

“H-huh?” Hyunjin intelligently said, putting himself back into a sitting position. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he could finally see his math teacher standing in front of her desk, her hand holding out chalk to him. 

“Hopefully your need to take a nap means that you’ve done the homework problems from last night and can therefore solve the problem on the board,” she said, not amused in the slightest.

Hyunjin stifled a groan. He had fallen asleep in class. Again. How many times had he told himself he’d stop doing that?

“I’m really sorry miss, it won’t happen again,” Hyunjin quickly said with a bow. He couldn’t get on the bad side of any of his teachers. Not when he was this close to finally graduating.

The fatigue on his face must have been apparent because his teacher’s expression turned sympathetic. “Apology accepted, now go do the equation.”

Luckily, Hyunjin _had_ done the homework problems the night before (in the middle of the night near a dying lightbulb, but hey, calculus wasn’t picky). He quickly solved the problem and returned to his desk, wishing desperately that someone would pour a bottle of water on his head if that was what was going to keep him awake.

“Good job Hyunjin. Now, let’s address the other sleeper in this class.” The class let out a laugh, as everyone knew who the teacher was referring to.

“Han Jisung, get up!” All eyes immediately went to the boy at the back of the room, who had put his head on his desk at the beginning of the class and had no plans to get up. Hyunjin knew that Jisung didn’t fall asleep in class out of sleep deprivation or anything. It was simply to show how much he cared.

Jisung opened one eye and looked at the teacher in front of him. “No thanks,” He turned his head in the opposite direction and continued to be a statue.

The teacher rolled her eyes, but unfortunately, as everyone knew, this wasn’t a rare occasion. “If you think detention is more amusing than math class, then be my guest,” She put the slip on his desk. Jisung didn’t even give it a glance.

Han Jisung. High school senior, and living the school life that, in a way, every kid wanted. He just didn’t care. He arrived at school when he wanted, if he arrived at all, left when he saw fit, and spent his free time pulling all-nighters with all the other gamers or hanging out in the city square pulling off dares that only fools would even consider. However, he studied hard enough during exam times to be able to guarantee himself a high school diploma despite his carefree life. Jisung was quite friendly to Hyunjin and while Hyunjin appreciated that, Han Jisung was not the influence Hyunjin needed.

Though he was one to talk. With the kind of life Hyunjin led, Jisung’s misdeeds looked like childs play.

“Honestly. You kids live in one of the most prosperous cities in the world, have all the best opportunities at the tip of your fingers, yet there are still those of you who don’t mind throwing it away,” the teacher said, going on a rant after Jisung’s actions.

“If the city council just bulldozed the Alley, everything would be perfect,” one of Hyunjin’s classmates chimed in.

“Dude, there are people _living_ in that dump, you can’t just demolish it,” someone else said.

“Oh, you mean the low lives and gang people? There’s nobody in the right mind who’d actually live in that place.”

“Isn’t there some kid in the junior year who lives in the Alley?”

“Oh, you mean Yang Jeongin? The kid’s a complete freak, trying so hard to fit in and so scared of everything. Probably all messed up from whatever any resident there is on.”

“Ok guys, back to topic,” The teacher said. But she made no attempt to defend any slander against the Alley. No teacher did. Because it was all true.

Hyunjin felt his stomach churn, the same way it did whenever anyone brought up the Alley. There were days where he’d wish himself into a different person, being able to make jokes with the other kids about that place. To be able to see the Alley as nothing more than a sector filled with drugs and violence, a curse on the city that would never affect him.

But he couldn’t. Hyunjin knew far too much about the Alley, way more than a regular teenager should ever know.

But the only thing he could do was sit straight in class, keeping his eyes from closing, take notes, and pretend he knew nothing.

* * *

Yang Jeongin thought his hand was going to fall off at this point.

He knew the answer to every problem. But so did another kid. It was the perfect excuse for his teacher to avoid choosing him. Yet Jeongin kept on trying. He hadn’t furiously studied the textbook chapter late into the night to be bested by his fellow classmates who probably skimmed the whole thing and called it a day.

Finally, Jeongin’s hand was the only one in the air. There was no other excuse to not call on him. His teacher looked at him, almost looking bored. “Ok Jeongin, come up and solve the final problem.”

Jeongin walked up to the board, avoiding eye contact with his classmates, who were most definitely using the time to whisper about their favourite topic. Him.

Jeongin studied the challenge question. He knew he could do this, he just needed some time to-

“You’re wasting class time Jeongin. You have ten seconds.”

Ten seconds for a problem that required at least a minute. Made sense. When it came to Yang Jeongin, everything became fair.

“Times up, very disappointing Jeongin,” The teacher said, Jeongin only having worked his way through the second line. “Class, let this be a reminder to you to only volunteer for questions you KNOW you can solve.”

Jeongin struggled to keep the red from his face at being called out like that. Especially when he hadn’t done anything wrong. Going back to his seat, Jeongin could hear the laughter and whispers all around them, like the buzz of a fly you can never get rid of. Jeongin had learnt to put up with that buzz for quite some time.

Geez, what had he ever done to deserve this treatment?

Oh right, he had been born in the wrong place. He had had everything taken away from him. And he was existing. That was reason enough in this ‘glamorous’ city.

But the only thing Jeongin could do was sit straight in class, take notes, and keep a smile on his face to hide away the struggles of being an Alley kid.

* * *

Nila was a beautiful city.

Everyone loved calling it the ‘gem of Korea’. It was perfect. Jobs on every corner, spacious housing that costed practically nothing, top schools a bus ride away, lots of nature that contributed to the aesthetic, and a close-knit community, despite the large city life. 

Hyunjin could almost find himself loving this place. Almost.

Unfortunately, near the very center of town, stood one certain sector of the city. Its rough and dirty pavements clashed with Nila’s manicured lawns and paved roads. Its dingy apartments clashed with the clean and welcoming townhouses. It almost seemed like the sky above that area refused to be as blue as over the rest of Nila.

This was the Alley. Nila’s ‘curse’ that was feared and ridiculed. A place that people ignored and paid attention to at the same time. A wild card that never brought good luck.

Many people disliked it. Hyunjin freaking despised it.

“Hyunjin, yo Hyunjin!” It was Jisung, catching up to Hyunjin as school let out. “Are you coming to the party tonight?”

The fact that Hyunjin had been invited and even reminded of it was such a nice gesture that Hyunjin’s heart sank at his inevitable answer. “Sorry Jisung, I’m too busy.”

Jisung groaned. “Again man? Look, I know we’re not friends, but it’s not hard to notice that you’re absent from every senior event there is. You’re a high school student, live a little!”

Hyunjin gave a sad smile. “Maybe next time.”

Jisung shrugged and then ran ahead to catch up to his friends. Hyunjin wondered what that was like, to be able to happily run off to an evening of dancing, laughter, and even a few drinks if they were really daring. A regular high school student, huh? Jisung was right, that was a life Hyunjin should be living.

His phone rang.

**_C_ **

**** Knowing immediately who it was, Hyunjin answered the call. “Talk to me.”

“I have tonight’s assignment. Meet at the usual place.” 

Hyunjin nodded, the protocol very familiar to him at this point. “I’ll be there.” The call disconnected.

Hyunjin sighed and went to the bus stop to face the evening in store for him.

Because unfortunately for Jisung, Hyunjin wasn’t a regular high school student.


	2. The Two Societies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had initially planned to post this update after pre-writing a few more chapters. But I figured I should prove my commitment to this story. Beginning a new fanfiction must be a risk, but I promise I won't let you guys down!  
> Warnings for minor violence.  
> Also, comments are greatly appreciated. Even if they're only one sentence, they make my day, and I love talking to readers!  
> Enjoy the chapter <3

Hyunjin was already comfortably seated in the cafe after placing his orders when the jingle of the cafe door alerted him to someone new entering the shop. Hyunjin didn’t even need to look towards the entrance to know who it was.

“Hey, I ordered the usual,” Hyujin said.

“Cool, let’s finish this quickly.”

Hyunjin leaned against his chair as his boss took the seat opposite to him. An envelope was trusted into his hands, a subtle motion that nobody else in the cafe could notice.

Hyunjin quickly tucked the envelope in his pocket. “A letter delivery?”

“Yes,” his boss said, lowering his voice to a whisper. “The address is on the front.”

Hyunjin sneaked a peak and his eyes widened. “This is… dangerously near Bulsong territory!” He immediately looked around to make sure no one had heard him.

His boss bit his lip. “Yeah, I tried to get information from the higher-ups, but they won’t tell me why. They need someone to deliver the message, and you’re available to do it.”

Hyunjin groaned. “So I guess it’s too much to hope that you may know the contents of this letter?”

“Sorry Hyunjin, they might tell me stuff, but they don’t tell me everything.”

Hyunjin sighed, resigning himself to his fate. “So 7 tonight, right?”

“No earlier, no later.”

A worker came to their table with the drinks. With the placement of the coffee on the table, it was like the professional and tense atmosphere of the visit slowly melted away. Hyunjin smiled and took a sip from his coffee, bring his voice back to normal, knowing the business talk was over.

“So Changbin hyung, what’s up with you lately?”

Seo Changbin. Hyunjin’s higher up. But also one of the only friends he had.

Changbin chuckled. “I’m being sent on a chase all over Nila to give out assignments, nobody tells me anything, but other than that, I’m swell.”

“Nobody telling us anything,” Hyunjin muttered under his breath. “That should become the association’s motto.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Changbin said. “But I promise Hyunjin, if I get told anything, you’ll be the first one to know.”

“It’s fine, don’t risk your job for me,” Hyunjin said. He was used to being kept in the dark. As long as his jobs meant a paycheck would be waiting for him outside his door, Hyunjin couldn’t care less what their purpose was for.

As long as… Hyunjin wasn’t doing any of the harm himself. It had taken a deathly mistake for Hyunjin to realize how important that was to him.

“But enough about me, what about you Hyunjin?” Changbin became concerned. “Holy- you look exhausted!”

“Schoolboy by day, contributing to crime by night, hyung,” Hyunjin said. “There’s no sleep in the job description.”

“How is school?” Changbin asked. He sounded like a parent but Hyunjin didn’t mind. It felt good to know that at least someone out there cared about the life he was building for himself.

“Keeping my grades up, getting out of trouble, staying on a low profile,” Hyunjin said, counting everything out. “Oh, and putting up with more crap said about the Alley.”

Changbin raised an eyebrow. “Wait, they still haven’t figured out that-”

“That I live in the Alley? No, it’s not that hard to hide,” Hyunjin said. “Can’t imagine how much sleep I’d lose over the taunts THAT will get me.”

“Hyunjin, really,” Changbin said, his tone getting serious. “You don’t need to keep on doing this school thing. If you dropped out, you could… do more jobs during the day, get a good night’s sleep, pay off your debt faster.”

“And then what hyung?” Hyunjin said. “I get paid, and then what? The minute I lose my high school diploma, I lose the chance of ever getting to break free of the Kalarc,” Hyunjin’s voice lowered at the mention of the association the two worked for, as if the very name brought bad luck. Which, in a way, it did.

The Kalarc. One of the major two notorious criminal networks in the Alley. Known only to those who were unfortunate enough to get on the good side, or bad side, of its doings. It was an association that struck fast, leaving little bloodshed behind. Things got stolen, people died, and not a trace would remain. 

The Kalarc kept their secrets well. They had a pyramid of work, a hierarchy even. The leaders at the top made all the decisions, knew all the major plans. That left people like Hyunjin on the bottom ranks on a wild goose chase, completing job after job, on beck and call at any time, never knowing what his actions would do except bring him one step closer to fulfilling his debt. That was all that mattered to Hyunjin.

There was only one blessing being at the bottom brought him. Hyunjin never hurt people, never had to spill blood. His jobs were Alley childs play, delivering messages, stealing some cash from time to time, and always leaving his findings at the doorstep of whatever address was given to him. 

At least, that was what Hyunjin always figured his job would be. It was a lie he foolishly believed until-

“So still set on university?” Changbin asked.

“Always,” Hyunjin said firmly. “It’s my ticket out of this hell, I’ll do anything for it.”

“Then escape,” Changbin said. He smiled. “I’m stuck here but I’ll do anything to get you out Hyunjin. I can always promise you that.”

It was a promise Changbin made on several occasions. It always brought a strange feeling to Hyunjin. Changbin had no way of being able to guarantee such a promise, but the fact that he was always ready to make it gave Hyunjin a sense of joy he barely got from anything nowadays.

Changbin, in a way, was living a life any Alley kid would dream of. He never experienced tragedy. As a child, he explored everywhere, every nook and corner of the dark alley, and every street in Nila too. He began to observe people, memorized their daily routines, and developed an exceptional skill that the Kalarc took notice of. The ability to _find_ people.

Recruited as a messenger at the age of 15, Changbin was given enough money to send his parents to a comfortable life in Seoul. He had a nice enough house out in Nila, was paid a pretty hefty amount for his services, and though his job involved a lot of running around and hushed conversations, Changbin got to stay out of the dark streets of the Alley. He didn’t have to do the Kalarc’s dirty work, never had to get himself into trouble, and was definitely told more information than Hyunjin could even dream of having.

But despite all of that, there was one thing Hyunjin could dream of that Changbin lost a long time ago. The chance to be free of the Alley life. The chance to get a degree, a legal job, and a normal life. Changbin wasn’t in debt like Hyunjin. He had nothing to pay off. The Kalarc needed him and even if he could leave, Changbin had nowhere else to go, no future vision.

Changbin used his remaining hope on Hyunjin, doing his best to propel him into a normal life. And Hyunjin did his best to push away business formalities and just be a true friend to Changbin, in order to give him an almost casual life that he couldn’t have again. The two began to rely on each other, realized they needed each other. It was strange comfort they found in a world that took away comfort from them.

“I just wish…” Changbin shook his head. Hyunjin already knew what subject he had dropped. 

More like, the subject he always tried to talk Hyunjin out of. But Hyunjin had made a choice a year ago and he was sticking with it. Even if it made his life harder, made the chance of his dream coming true grow smaller, that choice was the only thing that kept Hyunjin from tumbling into a dark place that had been grasping at him for over a year now.

Instead, Changbin stood up. “Let’s go, come to my house. Get some sleep before your job.”

Hyunjin immediately shook his head. “Hyung, I have homework.”

“Thirty minutes, ok?” Changbin’s firm tone let Hyunjin know that it wasn’t a question anymore. “Get that much sleep and I’ll wake you up. You can still do your homework.”

Hyunjin wanted to protest, but the mention of sleep made his exhaustion kick in, his body begging for that salvation Changbin was offering him. “ONLY thirty minutes. None of that ‘I thought you could use more sleep’ trash, ok?”

Changbin laughed and held his arm out for Hyunjin, Hyunjin gladly complying. “Why do you think so little of me? When have I ever done something like that before?” Hyunjin tiredly punched him on the arm as an answer.

The two boarded the bus to Changbin’s house. Hyunjin felt his head involuntarily falling onto Changbin’s shoulder, his eyes refusing to stay open any longer. He snagged a good extra ten minutes of sleep on that bus drive and Changbin didn’t complain one bit.

* * *

Hyunjin hated the Alley smell. If death had a smell, that was how Hyunjin would describe it. Otherwise, he’d have to settle for saying it smelt like a mixture of blood, sewer water, and dead rats. Hyunjin had lived here his entire life, yet he would never get used to the smell.

He silently made his way through the corners, he could navigate them with his eyes close. Years of Kalarc training meant that his footsteps made no sounds and his presence was that of a ghost. The mask covering his face made him almost blend into the night. It was only when he got closer to enemy territory where Hyunjin became more uneasy.

He remembered Changbin’s warning to him right before he had set out on the job.

“Be careful. Reports are saying that Lee Know has become more active in the Alley recently.”

That nearly made Hyunjin’s heart stop. While normal kids were brought up with cautious stories of Dracula, Slender Man and the Cookie Monster, Hyunjin had only learnt to fear Lee Know. 

He almost was like the character straight out of a horror story. He was the son of the leaders of the Bulsong, equalling with the Kalarc as the top two major organizations in the Alley. The two societies were rivals, and while the Kalarc had their stealth and mystery, the Bulson had skill like Lee Know.

Nobody knew his face. Those who had seen it were already six feet under. The only way trace Lee Know left behind was a blood-splattered room. That was how the Bulsong instilled fear in the Alley. The Kalarc left a silent murder, while the Bulsong left a gory one. 

The fact that not only was he in territory like that, but also at the risk of running into the Alley’s most feared assassin, made Hyunjin want to run. But he didn’t. He couldn’t afford to.

So finally, he was at the building of the address given to him. Hyunjin prepared himself to scale it, leave the letter, and get the hell out of this place. He took a deep breath and took off into a run. He would have made it too.

If it weren’t for the hand that grabbed him and pulled him around the corner.

Hyunjin felt the wind get knocked out of him as his back slammed into the wall. His arm was being held above him at a painful angle and the hand gripping it never faltered.

Hyunjin finally stopped seeing stars and faced whoever was pinning him against the wall.

It was like he was face to face with a monster.

The man’s face was covered, save for his messy brown hair covering his forehead, and his hazel eyes that stared straight into Hyunjin’s soul. Hyunjin could almost swear they were glowing. They were filled with nothing but murder.

Hyunjin’s throat went dry, losing all courage in front of this new enemy. It was only when he saw the knife the assassin was holding at his throat that Hyunjin forgot how to breathe entirely.

Almost eight years in the business, and never had Hyunjin come into an encounter like this. He could almost feel the sharpness of the knife, could imagine the unbearable pain it would cause when contacted with his skin. Never before had he felt such terror, not even when-

“P- Please, d- don’t do this…” Hyunjin hated how weak his voice sounded, how much his arm was shaking in the grip of this assassin. 

The assassin’s jacket slipped off, revealing his sleeveless shirt and shoulder. Hyunjin’s blood went cold on seeing what was inscribed on his shoulder.

A fire emblem. The mark of the Bulsong. Hyunjin was being held at a knifepoint by an enemy assassin.

The assassin roughly pulled aside Hyunjin’s shirt sleeve, leaving Hyunjin’s shoulder exposed. The assassin could see it. Hyunjin’s Kalarc emblem, the tattoo of a knife. He wasn’t going to survive this. Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the strike of the knife at his throat.

_Changbin, I’m sorry. I never even got the high school diploma we were both so excited for._

However, the knife never came. Instead, the assassin gripped Hyunjin’s arm tighter, almost twisting it. Hyunjin bit his tongue against the pain.

“What are you doing here?” the assassin finally asked. It was gruff under the cover of the mask.

Hyunjin had no words to even defend himself. Pathetic.

The assassin’s eyes shifted to Hyunjin’s pocket. His hand grabbed the crease of the envelope sticking out of it and pulled it out. He studied it before stuffing it into his own pocket.

Slowly, he brought the knife away from Hyunjin. Hyunjin’s knees almost gave in from the relief. It was only when the assassin looked at him with his deadly stare, did Hyunjin realize he probably wasn’t out of the woods yet.

The last thing he saw was the assassin’s fist fly towards his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, Here's some background:  
> Kalarc- "Kal" means knife in Korean. So technically, I'm aiming for the name meaning "Arc of Knives", because knives strike fast and can kill quickly if done right, kind of like the technique of the Kalarc.  
> Bulsong- "Bul" means "fire" in Korean. The intended meaning is "Firesong". Because fire strikes violently and makes a big scene, which is like the technique of the Bulsong.  
> All credit goes to Google Translate and my remaining three brain cells XD  
> The next chapter will be posted early next week! Talk to me in the comments :)


	3. Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm backk!  
> I think Monday is going to become the day I update this fic. You know, just as a good start to the week. If this fic gets a good response or I get more chapters written, I might also choose a second day of the week to update :)  
> Thanks for the comments and kudos guys! I'm not kidding when I say a nice comment makes me want to write at least five more chapters of this story <3

Waking up on a classroom desk in the middle of school was nothing compared to the feeling of waking up on a broken street in the dead of night after being knocked out by an assassin, whose skills were clearly in a league of its own.

Everything hurt. Hyunjin still felt the world spin around him as he slowly got to his feet. He couldn’t have been out for long but the moon in the Alley sky told him that night had fallen.

Hyunjin put a finger to his cheek and flinched. It was definitely bruised and throbbed like nothing else. Hyunjin knew he’d have to patch himself up to the best of his ability before school started.

Hyunjin cautiously made his way through the Alley, feeling like he was going to be jumped at every corner. Silence cloaked the air but that only made it more terrifying, like something or someone was hiding in wait.

Hyunjin tried to process what had happened. He had been ambushed by an enemy. A Bulsong enemy. How was he still alive? In fact, the assassin had only removed his knife  _ after  _ seeing Hyunjin’s Kalarc tattoo. None of it made sense.

Those monster eyes, that aura of bloodlust. Hyunjin felt tremors when he thought of who exactly could fix that description. No- he would have been dead for sure if he had been up against who he thought it was.

But he shouldn’t be fretting over it. He was alive. But he had failed on the job. He wouldn’t be getting his pay and that was the greatest worry for Hyunjin.

He made it to his apartment with difficulty. It was an old, one-room compartment in one of the Alley streets, but it was the only place Hyunjin could afford when he had… other expenses. Entering the dark room, Hyunjin quickly sought the first aid kit. It wasn’t like he was a stranger to injury. Getting hurt was a learning process when it came to working in the Alley. Hyunjin learnt to be effective with what he had and was more than capable to fix his own injuries. Consulting a doctor meant having to think up a good lie, and hardly any lie seemed suitable enough for the safe streets of Nila.

Hyunjin gritted his teeth against the pain as he used alcohol to clean up the bruising and patched it up with a bandaid. He rubbed some oil on his back to ease its soreness from being slammed against a wall. He also boiled up some water to help with his splitting headache.

He sat on his bed for a long time, waiting for the pain to ease. Once the throbbing of his head went away and his bruise only hurt to touch, Hyunjin realized his exhaustion had also slipped away for some reason. He couldn’t sleep anymore.

So he decided to do what he usually did to deal with a hard day.

The weak lightbulb flickered on in the large vacant space on the bottom floor. Nobody lived here, so Hyunjin had claimed it for his own.

Hyunjin pulled up a playlist on his phone and set it on the floor. He positioned himself in the middle of the space and then hit play.

Music filled the room. As the notes moved around the room, Hyunjin felt his body moving along with them.

For those ten minutes, he forgot the soreness of his body. No limits existed when Hyunjin was moving with the music. He could do anything, he could  _ be  _ anything. 

Sometimes, Hyunjin researched dance moves and choreographies when he got his hands on a laptop and applied them to whatever beat the music had. But most of the time, there were no moves to follow. Hyunjin went with the flow, letting his hands do what they saw fitting, letting his feet navigate themselves across the empty space. It was a small room, but Hyunjin felt like he could go anywhere.

This was what he wanted, what he went to sleep dreaming of every night, what he prayed for when he believed his prayers might finally give answers. Every night he was on a job, Hyunjin imagined what it would be like, if instead of his feet finding their grip on buildings and abandoned balconies, they landed on a stage, the moonlight being replaced with a spotlight, leaving Hyunjin moving not for his debt to some unknown strangers and putting his life at stake, but for himself, and for the people he could give joy to.

When he practiced, he believed it really could happen. He could get out of here. Get a university degree, go to an arts school, learn how to really dance and- the possibilities were endless. All Hyunjin knew was that the future ahead of him had to be better than what he had right now.

And if he had to break his mind and body, risk everything in order to eventually attain this bliss and moment where he could be himself… Hyunjin really would do anything.

* * *

Jeongin was really beginning to regret taking gym as a course.

Like, what had he been thinking? Put in a room with twenty other ruthless classmates with access to bats, balls, and any weapon possible and Jeongin had still felt like he’d actually enjoy this class.

News flash, he hated it.

He sat alone on the gym stage, watching his class fool around before their gym teacher would call the class to order. On one particular corner, there was a lot of commotion around the basketball net.

“Chan hyung, teach me how to shoot the ball!”

“Chan hyung, join my team!”

“Chan hyung, 1v1 me in basketball!”

“Chan hyung, can you speak some Australian for us!?”

“Whoa guys, what’s with all the ‘hyungs’ being thrown around?” the gym teacher asked, approaching the boys. “He’s a teacher here, call him Mr. Chan.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jeongin heard Chan say. “I asked them to call me hyung, I want everyone to feel comfortable.”

Bang Chan. From what Jeongin heard, he was an assistant teacher in second-year university, an English teacher in training. He had come all the way from Australia to find a teaching job. But it was common knowledge that he spent most of his free time in the gym, playing basketball and other sports with the students. The gym teacher didn’t mind and the kids at school loved Chan. Jeongin had never spoken to him, but he seemed like a fun teacher.

The gym teacher blew his whistle. “Ok everyone, gather up for basketball! Chan, I want you to supervise while I go run some errands.”

Jeongin lazily jumped off the stage and approached the crowd. He didn’t find basketball amusing in the slightest. Basketballs were hard, the worst kind of weapons at the kids’ disposal.

Teams were formed and the game quickly began. It would have been easy enough as long as Jeongin stayed away from the ball. But there were many times when he wanted to approach it. He was tall enough, good at running, and could help the team. But that did no good, it wasn’t like the other kids would ever let him get the ball.

Waiting in formation, Jeongin could feel eyes on him and a few whispers. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but they made him feel uneasy. Yup, he definitely should stay away from the ball.

“Pass!” Jeongin heard a kid on the opposite side of the court called for the ball. The boy with the ball looked ready to pass it, so Jeongin paid no attention to where the ball was going.

That was his mistake.

Before he could even process what was happening, Jeongin felt a huge impact at the side of his head. It hurt like crazy and Jeongin felt himself crouch to the floor, trying to stop the room from spinning.

Basketballs really were horrible weapons.

“Hey! I saw that!” Jeongin heard Chan coming to the centre of the court. “What was that about?”

“Sorry Chan hyung, it was an accident.”

“Oh, really? So you were going to pass the ball to the left side of the court and your eyes ‘accidently’ went over to this kid and you ‘accidently’ threw the ball in the opposite direction it was supposed to go, directly at him?”

Chan’s tone was harsh, completely different from the playful voice he usually carried. But what surprised Jeongin the most was the fact that Chan was actually  _ defending  _ him.

“Look, I-”

“No excuses. Go sit out for the rest of the class and I’m talking to the teacher about you.”

Jeongin would have grinned at the punishment of his jerk classmate if it weren’t for the throbbing that was still in his head.

“Hey kid, are you ok?”

Jeongin looked up and saw Chan’s hand reached out to him. It was a rare sight to him. Jeongin took it and got to his feet. His legs wobbled a little but the room was back to normal. “Um- yeah, I’m ok.”

“That’s good, but I still need to escort you to the nurse’s office. Concussion protocol and all that.”

Anything to get out of this class. Jeongin nodded and followed Chan out of the gym.

Luckily for him, he was just fine. Jeongin was simply given an ice pack and quickly sent away from the office. Chan was waiting outside for him.

Jeongin gave a bow of gratitude. “Thank you, Mr-”

“You can call me ‘hyung’ ” Chan said. “We’re only four years apart and I want you guys to see me as a friend, not just as a teacher.”

Jeongin nodded to that. “Thank you Chan hyung.”

Chan waved it off. “It’s fine. Hey, what’s your name?”

“... Yang Jeongin.”

“Well Jeongin, take a walk with me for a few minutes.”

That shocked Jeongin. “But… there’s still class and…”

“As far as everyone else knows, you were absent from class due to a minor injury. And I was making sure you are ok. Now come on, I need to talk to you,” Jeongin knew Chan wasn’t making a request, but he said it in such a friendly manner that Jeongin wanted to agree.

“... ok hyung.” And with that, Chan led him outside.

* * *

“Are you sure it wasn’t Lee-”

“Yes Changbin hyung. Actually, I’m really not sure anymore,” Hyunjin said. He was on the phone with Changbin right before heading off to school.

“I mean, your description sounds like him. But why would he leave you alone and only steal the letter?” Changbin asked.

Hyunjin sighed. “I don’t even know anymore. But whoever he is, he’s good. I never sensed his presence one bit and he pinned me like it was nothing. He also pretty much vanished like the speed of light.”

“But you’re ok, right?”

“Yes hyung, only a few scratches,” Hyunjin said. He yawned. “Just a little tired.”

“But wouldn’t you have time to sleep- ohhh,” Changbin knew Hyunjin way too well. “You idiot, you were dancing again, weren’t you?”

“A… little?”

Hyunjin had to hold the phone away from his ear at the upcoming threats.

“Hwang Hyunjin, you might just be the dumbest, most irrational, and reckless fool I’ve ever seen, and I’ve delivered many messages to fools who want to jump rooftops for a living! You’re never going to graduate university if you end up dying before then, which you will if you don’t fall asleep once in a while!”

“Ok, ok, hyung, I’m sorry,” Hyunjin said, rolling his eyes, even though everything Changbin was saying made perfect sense. “No more midnight dancing, got it.”

“If you want, I can maybe make sure that, ahem, there are no jobs that come your way tonight, so you can fall asleep,” Changbin said.

“Thanks hyung, but I have to make some cash tonight, especially since last night was a failure,” Hyunjin said.

“You have cash, look at your front door.”

With a start, Hyunjin looked towards his door. Tucked in the seams was an envelope. Inside it was the regular check issued to Hyunjin by the Kalarc. “Wha- how?”

Hyunjin could almost hear Changbin’s smirk at the other end. “I might have… left out the whole letter getting intercepted detail to the higher-ups.”

“Hyung, you’ll get in trouble!”

“Hey, as far as they know, there was no way of me knowing about the letter incident. So I’m good.”

Hyunjin smiled. “Thanks hyung. I owe you one.”

“Then get some sleep, damn it!”

“Yes mom, see ya,” Hyunjin grinned and hung up the phone.

Hyunjin looked at the envelope with a sinking heart. Debts aside, the Kalarc paid him well enough, there was no denying that. But Hyunjin still found himself struggling for money. All because of the simple reason that he would not be using this money given to them.

Quickly, trying to make it in time before school started, Hyunjin ran through the alleys, before lifting himself up into the balcony of another apartment room. The inhabitant of this house was thankfully not home. This was not a person Hyunjin would ever be able to look in the eye again.

Instead, he put the envelope with the money into the seams of the door, there for the homeowner to find it.

With that, Hyunjin sped of the school, leaving his hard-earned money in the hands of somebody who needed it and deserved it far more than him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to remember this last scene! It's going to become very important in the next chapter and the plot ahead.


	4. Saved by Knives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a note, this story is going to have a lot of back and forth between various members. I don't know WHY I had decided to have member interactions so confusing in this story, but that's just the way it worked out, lol.

Jeongin never expected his gym class to turn into an afternoon stroll with the school’s assistant teacher.

Usually, Jeongin didn’t trust teachers. He certainly never wanted to have a one on one talk with one. Most of those usually ended in a huge scolding and often a detention, usually for the simple reason of coming to class a little late. It was like every teacher in the school was just waiting for Jeongin to drop out.

But this time was different. Chan didn’t seem like a teacher. Maybe it was just the small age difference or the fact that Chan had defended Jeongin, but Jeongin could allow himself to feel a little more comfortable.

“So Jeongin, I know we’ve never spoken before, but I’m usually supervising during your gym classes, and I’ve noticed something,” Chan began.

“It doesn’t seem like… the other kids are very friendly to you.”

Realization dawned on Jeongin. “Ohh, this is one of those teachers talking to isolated students type of thing, isn’t it?” Jeongin chuckled. “It’s ok Chan hyung, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Chan raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

The fact that Chan had only come to Nila two months ago was becoming very obvious. “Because I’m from the Alley hyung. You don’t need to care about people like me, everything you’re seeing is to be expected.”

“What’s… the Alley?”

Jeongin gawked. “Seriously!? Um… no offence hyung, but maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings.”

Jeongin had usually seemed like a quiet kid when Chan would see him around. Seeing Jeongin tell him off like this surprised him, but not necessarily in a bad way. “Ok, then educate me.”

“The Alley. It’s that really dark place near the city square. It’s falling apart, it’s almost like a slum,” Jeongin said. “It’s the kind of place in spooky stories told to the kids here to make sure they don’t wander off. It’s the place that middle schoolers dare each other to enter as a way of being cool. When you’re younger, it’s a place filled with monsters, and once you’re old enough, it’s a place filled with gang violence and poverty. That’s the Alley.”

Chan stopped in his tracks. “Wait, Jeongin, you LIVE there!?”

“Pretty pathetic, huh?”

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying!” Chan quickly said. “I’m saying that doesn’t sound like a very safe place to live.”

“Oh…” Jeongin had never had anyone question his safety before. He shrugged. “I’ve lived there my entire life. I know how to navigate the streets and stay out of trouble. I’ve never seen any violence there, the most I’ve heard is some yelling outside my window. Not to say I don’t try to avoid the Alley as much as possible, but it’s not like I’m risking my life every day.”

“Ok, so it’s just not the best living space…” Chan was still confused. “But that doesn’t explain the behaviour of your classmates.”

“Really, it doesn’t?” Jeongin’s sarcasm scared Chan. “I’m a lowlife from the Alley, the kind of person nobody wants to talk to, the kind of person that others bully to feel better about the luxurious upbringing they get. I’ve been destined to fail, so nobody thinks they need to give me the time of day.”

“Wha- why do you say things like that with such a straight face!?” This was exactly the kind of thing Chan was supposed to be on the lookout for, the problems he was supposed to fix as a teacher in training!

Jeongin gave a laugh that shook him to the core. “That’s life hyung. I’ve dealt with it for quite some time. One more year and I’ll be out of here.”

Jeongin softened at Chan’s worried expression. “Seriously Chan hyung, I’m fine. I’m not going to fail and once I’ve graduated, that will show everyone that just because I got the ‘fortune’ of being born in the Alley, doesn’t mean I’m doomed to that kind of life.”

Chan still couldn’t get rid of his concern. It was in his blood, he always carried the weight of others’ problems and tried to make it go away. But there was no way to help Jeongin if he didn’t feel like he needed help.

So he did the next best thing. Simply talking.

“So are you here on a scholarship?” Chan asked.

“No, I’m not,” Jeongin said. “Just because I can’t afford to move out of the Alley, doesn’t mean I can’t afford to go to a private school.”

Chan had no idea how that worked and Jeongin didn’t bother to explain. “Although I did try for a scholarship but didn’t get it. It’s the school that decides who gets them, they’re not about to give it to someone like me.”

“Then do your parents pay for this?” Chan asked. It was supposed to be a casual question, nothing more.

Just like that, Jeongin’s demeanour changed. His shoulders stiffened up and he looked away from Chan.

“No, they don’t. They used to, but they’re not around anymore to do it again,” Jeongin snapped.

Chan felt like the world’s biggest screw-up.  _ Great job Chan, so much for helping people. _

In the end, wasn’t that what he had come to Korea to do? He wanted to become a teacher, but he never wanted to make a living out of writing on a chalkboard and giving out homework. He wanted to be able to reach people, to be that person that students could talk to when they had nobody else. 

He didn’t want to be a teacher, he wanted to be a friend.

So Chan cleared the teacher thoughts out of his head. He was still worried about Jeongin, and had no idea how this kid was living alone with no financial problems. But now wasn’t the time for those questions. Jeongin was an interesting kid and Chan was more than happy to just talk with him.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t need pity,” Jeongin said. He sighed. “I’m sorry for getting mad like that Chan hyung.” He realized something and grabbed onto Chan’s arm in panic. “Oh, don’t tell anyone I’m living alone!”

“I wasn’t going to, but… why?”

“I can’t go to the foster system. I’d outgrow it by next year, and besides, nobody would want someone like me. Then I’ll really have nowhere to go! Please Chan hyung, don’t tell a soul!” Jeongin’s grip on Chan’s arm got tighter, he looked truly frightened. He didn’t seem like the sassy teenager from just moments ago, he was a child with so much to be afraid of.

Chan pried Jeongin’s arm off him and instead held it reassuringly. “I won’t, ok? If you’re doing fine on your own, I have no reason to report this. And all forgiven. But I like these talks. We should do them more often, maybe about less serious stuff. Don’t see me as a teacher.”

“It’s already hard to see you as a teacher hyung,” Jeongin smirked. “You seem cool enough, I might decide to show you the moon one day.”

“The... moon?”

Jeongin slapped his forehead. “Oh right, you’ve lived in Australia, you’ve already seen the moon. Forget I asked.”

“You… can’t see the moon in Nila?”

“You have A LOT to learn Chan hyung,” Jeongin said, letting his smug attitude come back. “Nila means ‘moon’ in an ancient language. The city is called that because at night, fog goes over the sky, because of pollution or something, who knows? Basically, you can’t see the moon. Don’t ask me  _ why  _ the city builders thought that was a good thing and named the city after it.”

“But you said you’ve seen the moon,” Chan pointed out.

“Yeah, the Alley is different from Nila in every way possible,” Jeongin said. “The fog doesn’t reach the Alley, maybe because of the tall buildings. The moon is very visible if you find the right place.”

A place where you couldn’t see the moon… Chan hadn’t noticed for the past few months, never really looked at the sky to check. As perfect as Nila seemed, every place had its flaws. And Chan had learned quite a few in the span of an afternoon.

The school bell rang. Jeongin groaned. “I’m going to be late and get yelled at! See ya Chan hyung!”

Jeongin ran back towards the building. Chan stayed outside for a little while longer.

Now was the time to accomplish what he had set out to do. Help people. Not with math or English, or any school subject, but a subject that was far more important than any of that.

Life.

“Hey Jeongin, don’t run away from us! Talk to us for a little bit!”

Jeongin ignored the jeering of his classmates and quickly exited the building. Honestly, some of the boys were looking really punchable. Not that Jeongin really knew how to punch someone.

Instead, he took the earliest bus possible out to the city square. Once there, making sure no eyes were on him, Jeongin slipped into the dark confines of the Alley.

His stomach grumbled. He had run out of food yesterday and the tiny kitchen in his house was by no means functional. Jeongin sighed. He hated living like this.

Sometimes, Jeongin would try to grasp for straws, at early memories of life in Nila. Memories of iving in a clean and warm home, playing tag on the streets into the night, and coming home to a large dinner. But usually, he failed. He had been young when his parents had moved into the Alley, all pleasant memories of a normal city life left Jeongin. All Jeongin knew was that, whatever that life was, he missed it.

He was just opening the door into the apartment when a piece of paper fell onto the floor from the seams. Picking it up, Jeongin realized it was an envelope.

It hadn’t been in the door seams that morning, whoever had put it there had probably waited until Jeongin had left for school. But he knew exactly what it was.

Money. It arrived regularly, barely missing a week. Whether it was for food or rent, an envelope always arrived with a check with enough to cover those expenses for at least a week. These envelopes were the only thing keeping Jeongin off the streets.

Now if only he knew where they were coming from.

“I  _ dare  _ you.”

Jisung perked up at the mention of a dare. “Ok, seriously? Trying to use my eagerness for dares against me? Dude, I may be brave, but I’m not stupid.”

“Ten dollars.”

Jisung shook his head. Did his friend really think money could so easily sway him?

“Twenty dollars,” Jisung said. “I’m not taking any less.”

Well, he was right.

“Ok, it’s a deal man.”

Jisung wasn’t sure if he had heard right. “Dude, you’re actually going to pay me TWENTY dollars to go into the Alley?”

His friend smirked. “It’s the ultimate dare, I’d pay good money to see someone brave enough to do that.”

Jisung shook his head in disbelief. “Then you really like losing money. Ok, I’m going in.”

Jisung was in the city square with his usual group of friends. The Alley was in his line of sight. He didn't know how the evening had escalated to this but he began to walk towards the Alley, his friends shouting encouragement from behind.

Jisung would be lying if he said his stomach didn’t churn a little when he approached the Alley. It was the smell that hit him first. Next came all the spooky stories fed to him his entire life about this place, spanning all the way back to when his mom told his five-year-old self that if he took a toy car without paying, monsters from the Alley would come to find him and steal all his toys.

He took a deep breath.  _ It’s an easy twenty buck Jisung, toughen up.  _ He put one foot into the Alley and then another.

No monsters came out to attack him. No knife came flying out to skewer him to pieces. The temperature didn’t drop to minus. He was good.

Mustering up more courage, Jisung continued walking. The large buildings made everything feel very closed in, but there were still many pathways and corners. Jisung found himself becoming curious.

After a few minutes of walking, Jisung concluded that there really was nothing much to see. Just litter on the grounds and narrow alleys. How could anybody live in a place like this? Jisung turned around to head back.

Except, which way should he turn? Which pathway did he enter from? Everything blended together and Jisung learnt the horrible truth.

He was lost.

Jisung kicked a building out of frustration. He knew he shouldn’t have done this stupid dare! What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn’t think things could get any worse. 

So naturally, things got worse. Jisung froze when he heard a group of voices around the corner.

He couldn’t pick out what they were saying, but they were getting closer. In panic, Jisung did the only rational thing that came to mind.

He began running deeper into the Alley.

Maybe he should have thought more rationally. He should have stayed where he was, even just casually walked away. He posed no danger, he could have stayed out of trouble by pretending to be an innocent wanderer. Now, running put an even greater target on his head.

In short, the group of voices must have heard the sound of Jisung’s footsteps. Jisung realized with horror that they were running after him with screams of “Who is that!?”, and “Catch up with him!”

Jisung had no idea where he was going and when he would stop. He didn’t know what gangs here were capable of and definitely didn’t want to find out.

He would have kept on running if it weren’t for the hand that suddenly grabbed him and pulled him around the corner.

Jisung took heavy breaths from the sudden pull of his body. His back ached from suddenly being slammed against a building wall and his arm was being held above him, at a very uncomfortable angle. Outside, he heard his pursuers running past the corner.

“What the hell is your problem!?”

Jisung finally got his breathing back and looked up to see who had grabbed him.

It was… another teenager. He looked older than Jisung and Jisung almost backed away from the angry glare in his eyes, before promptly realizing he was already against a wall.

“I… have no problem,” Jisung desperately tried to negotiate with this gang member. “Just… let me go, I didn’t do anything!”

“Oh really, so randomly walking into the Alley with no freaking idea what you’re doing, AND already getting into trouble is ‘nothing’?”

Jisung realized this man’s tone was more lecturing than threatening. Looking closer at this person, Jisung realized his wavy brown hair, dark jacket, and stern expression made him look right out of a cover of a fashion magazine.

Slowly, Jisung began to laugh. “Oh my gosh… are you seriously reprimanding me for walking into this Alley? It’s a free country you know.”

“Will you really be saying that if this ‘free country’ got you killed?”

Jisung scoffed. This new person was looking less and less intimidating to him by the second. “I know your type. You’re one of those pretty boys who think they’re so smart and can tell others what to do, no matter what. While having them pinned against a wall, I should add.”

“And I know YOUR type,” the stranger fired back. “You’re one of those privileged high school brats who have everything handed over to them on a silver platter, yet still feel like throwing it all away makes them better than everyone else. I heard your stupid little dare with your friends. This is all a game to you, isn’t it?”

“Wait, you were watching me!?” Jisung exclaimed.

“If ‘watching you’ means making sure you’re not getting yourself killed by stupidly walking into this place and getting lost all for some pocket money, then call it whatever you want.” The stranger’s grip tightened on Jisung’s arm, causing Jisung to squirm. “The Alley isn’t a place for people like you, it’s-”

“Ok mom, I get the point.” Jisung rolled his eyes. “But do you mind letting go of me? You’re not going to look like that great of a person if I come back to the city with a broken arm.”

Reluctantly, the stranger let go of Jisung’s arm. Jisung shook his arm and let out a fake whine. “Oww, it’s already twisted, imagine what would happen if I reported this to the-”

“Do whatever the hell you want, go get yourself killed on these streets for all I care. I’m out.” The stranger began to walk away.

Suddenly, that was when the voices of the gang decided to return, probably having turned around after pursuing Jisung to no avail. Jisung’s heartbeat went up, how would he be able to escape them again?

The stranger must have also heard the voices. He sighed and turned around, walking past Jisung and into the main alleyway.

“Hey, don’t approach them too!” Jisung yell whispered at the stranger. He was ignored.

“Get out of here!” Jisung heard the stranger’s voice ring out.

A few seconds later, Jisung grimaced at the sound of flesh meeting flesh and strangled cries. He didn’t think he’d be able to endure the sounds anymore until soon, they stopped. Silence cloaked the Alley.

“Uh… pretty boy? Are you alive?”

Hearing no response, Jisung cautiously entered the main pathway. He widened his eyes at the scene in front of him.

The men approaching him were all knocked out on the ground. The stranger was standing in the middle of it, waving out his hand, probably trying to bring feeling back to it. Jisung almost panicked at the knife in the stranger’s hand until he realized that none of the fallen men had a cut on them anyways.

“Why… do you have a knife if you didn’t use it?” was the first intelligent thing that came to Jisung’s mind. He couldn’t quite believe this stranger had done this much damage in less than a minute. Alley people were really something else.

The stranger looked at Jisung as if he had just remembered he was there. “I always feel better when it’s with me, whether I use it or not.”

_ Right, that’s TOTALLY not concerning.  _ Jisung shook the thoughts out of his head. He had bigger problems to worry about. “How… do I get out of here?”

The stranger looked at Jisung as if he was a fly he wanted to swat and then turned around. “Follow me.”

And follow, Jisung really had to do. The stranger walked in fast strides, not even stopping once to check directions. Jisung had to run to keep up with me. It was almost like the stranger could navigate the Alley with his eyes closed, which Jisung had no doubt he had probably tried before.

The scent of flowers and clean air soon brought Jisung back to Nila. The trimmed grass, bird songs, and cheerful mall music stood out more to Jisung. It was strange, but it seemed like Nila’s beauty was becoming more obvious to Jisung once he left the Alley.

However, the stranger still remained in the shadow of the Alley. Jisung faced him, realizing he probably had to swallow his pride right about now.

“Uh… thank you for saving me from those guys and… saving me again from those guys and… leading me the way out,” Jisung hated how red his face felt. When had it become so hard to express gratitude?

“Wow, so you  _ do  _ know how to be polite,” the stranger said. It didn’t seem like simple phrases like ‘You’re welcome’ were in his vocabulary either.

Jisung stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do next. Should he just walk away? Say goodbye?

“I… should tell you my name, but I don’t think I should give it out to a suspicious stranger I just met in the Alley,” was what he instead said, wanting to kick himself immediately afterwards.

“Never asked for one,” Jisung could hear the stranger slowly walking away.

“Han Jisung!” Jisung blurted out. “My name is Han Jisung.”

The stranger’s footsteps stopped. “And… your name?” Jisung quickly asked, almost as if he didn’t want this boy to leave just yet.

There was silence and for a moment, Jisung almost thought the stranger had simply walked away, ignoring his question. He masked his presence extremely well, almost like a spy. Thankfully, the answer came.

“Lee Minho.” It came as a whisper, Jisung had to strain to hear it.

“Now get out of here kid,” The newly identified Minho said. “Enjoy your privileged life, you don’t ever need to be involved with the Alley.”

Jisung couldn’t help but pout. “Kid? You can’t be more than two years older than me.”

“Maybe so,” Minho said. “But I’ve seen things you’ve probably never dreamt of. So be thankful for that. I don’t want to see you in here ever again.”

Before Jisung could even process whether this was a threat or perhaps this person might actually care about Jisung’s safety, Lee Minho slipped into the shadows and Jisung could not sense him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't it have been great if the Minsung duo had met in a nice coffee shop or restaurant or- NOPE, welcome to my word readers! (insert pathetic imitation of an evil laugh)


	5. An "Alliance"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, my Monday's have definitely gotten better because I get to update this story :) This chapter became quite long so I'm sorry about that!  
> Warnings for blood, along with physical and emotional abuse at the end of this chapter.

_ When Jeongin opened his eyes, he found himself slumped against a wall corner. He was in a dark room, almost similar to his house. But this time, not even a single lightbulb lit up the room. _

_ The scene he saw in front of him made his eyes widen. _

_ There was another person on the ground. A hood covered his face but he was desperately trying to back away from the person standing in front of him. _

_ The person standing in front of him. Jeongin couldn’t make out who it was, it was almost like a shadow. All Jeongin could see was the outline of a knife in that person’s hand, ready to strike the man in front of him. _

_ Jeongin made no attempt to help the fallen man. He wasn’t tired, not injured in the slightest, not even scared. But he didn’t move. He sat watching the scene in front of him, awaiting what would happen, almost… wishing for that knife to strike down. Why was he wishing harm on this man in danger? _

_ Suddenly, Jeongin was on his feet. The same man was right in front of him, cowering in fear. Jeongin felt a knife in the grip of his hands. He looked down and saw exactly that, streaked with blood from who knows where.  _

_ Drops of blood spilt onto the ground but for some reason, Jeongin felt unsatisfied. This much blood wasn’t enough. More… he needed more. _

_ His eyes went back to the man, the night still hiding his face. The knife suddenly felt perfect in Jeongin’s hand. He wanted to use it. He wanted to swing it down on the person in front of him, wanted it to hit its mark. He wanted to see more blood. _

_ What was this feeling? Anger burned inside of him yet his hands shook with excitement. With little hesitation, Jeongin held the knife up, ready to plunge it forward. He heard screaming, but he didn’t know whether it belonged to the victim… or him. _

__ Jeongin woke up screaming.

Frantically, he looked at his hands. Nothing. No knife, no blood. He was alone, his apartment as silent as ever.

Emptiness fell over Jeongin. Nightmares weren’t uncommon to him. He had had countless, especially when he was young, terrified of the monsters and assassins lurking in the night. The only difference was, he had been welcomed with warm and loving arms, hugging him until his breathing went back to normal and he could fall asleep again.

Now, there was no one. Jeongin felt a lump in his throat, trying to ease his heartbeat down. He flinched at the roaring wind from outside, feeling so vulnerable in this grim place.

But what scared him most wasn’t the darkness or the wind. Not even the horrifying nightmare he just had.

It was the fact that this wasn’t the first time he had had that dream.

Hyunjin almost tripped on the road running over to the Nila announcement.

The advantage of a smaller city was that all the important happenings and events of Nila were there for everyone to see, its various announcement boards spread across the city. Hyunjin skimmed over the coloured help wanted ads and charity dinner announcements until he finally found the one he wanted, stars forming in his eyes:

**_Nila’s First-Ever… Arts Afternoon!_ **

**_This Saturday starting at 2pm! Treat yourself to a majestic two hours of dance and music at the Nila Arts and Community Centre! Tickets are free to celebrate this new honour to the arts!_ **

**** Hyunjin couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He had wanted to audition for this when the announcement came a month ago but the Kalarc didn’t care much for Hyunjin’s own personal interests, sending him off on a job right at the time of auditions. 

But his disappointment had soon worn off. An entire afternoon of seeing dance was exactly the kind of thing Hyunjin needed in his life. It was time to enjoy himself like a regular teenager.

Hyunjin took a schedule copy available at the attention board and went on his way, even allowing himself to hum to himself and skip on the way back.

Jisung had casually been walking by the message board when he decided to see what was up in Nila.

The arts flyer caught his eye but he quickly glossed over it, none of that interesting him in the slightest.

It was only when he saw the schedule when something caught his attention.

  * **_“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”- Group dance by Nila Junior Ballet Group_**


  * “Fancy”- Cover Dance by the Youth Kpop Cover Group


  * “Dawn”- solo dance by Lee Minho



**** Jisung read the third performance again to make sure he had read it right.

Lee Minho… as in… Jisung shook his head at the possibility, what were the chances? He began to walk away to pursue better sights…

His hand swooped in and grabbed a schedule copy against his will. He quickly shoved it into his pocket and walked away whistling.

He had no plans for Saturday anyways.

Hyunjin stood outside the Arts Centre, a crowd streaming in. He couldn’t wait! He went in and snagged a seat in the first few rows, making himself comfortable. The stage was currently dark, but Hyunjin could only imagine the possibilities that could take place on it.

“Hey, you.”

Hyunjin looked towards the source of the casual greetings and was surprised to see a familiar troublemaker take the spot next to him.

“Jisung!? Never thought I’d see you in a place like this,” Hyunjin said.

Jisung shrugged. “I was bored.”

Hyunjin wasn’t convinced with the reasoning. Boys like Jisung ran through the mall, tried to pretend they were old enough to enter the bars, and fooled around with their friends near the river when they were “bored”. They did not ever let themselves frequent a place of bright lights and cheery performances.

“Popcorn?” Jisung held out the bag he had bought to Hyunjin.

Hyunjin sighed and decided to let it go. Jisung was here and was willing to share his food, Hyunjin had no complaints.

The auditorium lights soon dimmed and Hyunjin sat up in his seats, excitement building up in him.

The first two performances were pleasing. Nothing special, but it still made Hyunjin jealous that he couldn’t be up there too. The loud crunches of popcorn were constant, Hyunjin was really beginning to wonder why Jisung was here.

Once the curtains closed after the second performance, Jisung suddenly perked up in his seat. What had made him suddenly interested?

The curtains opened again and an older teenager was standing on the stage, his back to the audience. Right, the solo performance. Hyunjin wanted to pay special attention to this one, it was usually the solos that were the best.

“It’s pretty boy!” Hyunjin heard Jisung say.

“I’m sorry… what?” Hyunjin asked.

“I met that guy maybe… two weeks ago? I recognized his name from the schedule but I didn’t think it was actually him,” Jisung said.

Hyunjin connected the dots. “Wait… is that why you’re-”

“What? No!” Jisung quickly said. “I told you man, I was bored.” 

Hyunjin smirked. Jisung was a surprisingly terrible liar.

The spotlights lit up the stage and the music began. Hyunjin glued his eyes back to the stage.

And there his eyes stayed. His heartbeat immediately elevated and Hyunjin forgot the feeling of the cushiony seat he was on. His mind and soul merged with the music and spotlights.

For Hyunjin saw the most magic in those two minutes than he’d ever seen in his entire life.

The boy’s movements, his gestures, his sharpness, his fluidity, his expressions, everything painted a story across that stage. It was like the dancer lived in the music, lived for every inch his foot moved, every gesture his hands made.

At that moment, Hyunjin saw who he aspired to be. The perfection he wished for, the lengths he wanted to go to achieve it. He vowed to himself that he would work harder and push past his limits to achieve the magic created on this stage.

When the lights dimmed and the curtains closed, Hyunjin vaguely felt an arm shaking him.

“Hyunjin. Earth to Hyunjin!”

Hyunjin blinked twice and looked at Jisung. “Yeah, huh?”

Applause filled the room. Hyunjin snapped back to reality and clapped the hardest.

The remainder of the afternoon was still filled with talent and enjoyment. But the performance of that solo dancer stuck in Hyunjin’s mind.

During the last performance, Hyunjin leaned over to whisper to Jisung.

“That dancer’s name is Lee Minho, right?”

“Yup.”

“And you know him?”

“Well… that’s kind of a stretch. But yes, he knows of my existence. Hopefully.”

That didn’t seem like a selling point, but Hyunjin was willing to take it. “Do you think it’s allowed, to see the performers after the show ends?”

Jisung looked at Hyunjin with confusion until a grin spread on his face, realizing what Hyunjin was asking for. “If it’s not, guess we’ll just break the rules.”

Hyunjin laughed at the Jisung’s confidence. But at least they had a plan for after the show.

The minute the lights came back on and everyone began to file out, the two ran to the back door of the centre, where those backstage usually exited from.

Only a few people were coming out at this point. Hyunjin felt his heart sank, thinking he was too late to see this Lee Minho. Jisung looked out into the square.

“I see him! Come on!” Jisung grabbed Hyunjin’s hand and led him in the direction he was pointing.

“Hey! You!” Jisung called out. Hyunjin wanted to slap him for this rude behaviour around such a legend. But Jisung’s calls had worked, the dancer turning around the face him.

He took one look at Jisung and then immediately continued walking away.

“Wha- oh NO he didn’t!” Jisung fumed. Against Hyunjin’s protests, he ran ahead until he stopped right in front of Lee Minho.

“Don’t just walk away from me! Don’t you remember me, pretty boy?”

For a second, an expression of shock crossed over Minho’s face. It was quickly gone, replaced with annoyance. “This ‘pretty boy’ has a name, HAN JISUNG.”

Jisung was slightly startled at the fact that Minho had remembered his name, but shook it away. “Riiight, my apologies,  _ Minho _ .”

Minho didn’t even flinch at Jisung’s lack of honorifics. He hadn’t been expecting respect from the boy who had had the nerve to talk back to him while pinned against a wall.

Hyunjin caught up to Jisung and looked at Minho. He gathered up his courage.

“Lee Minho hyung, right?” he quickly asked. He bowed. “My name is Hwang Hyunjin, I’m here with Jisung. Your performance was amazing!”

Hyunjin was surprised at Minho’s expression. It was in disbelief, almost as if he was trying to process whether the compliment was real or not. “Uh… thank you.”

“I’m also an aspiring dancer,” Hyunjin said, deciding he had come too far for him to give up. “Seeing your performance today made me realize I want to work harder and become as good as you. I’m self-taught, I’ve never learnt anything like what you did.” He took a deep breath, it was now or never to ask the question growing in his mind.

“Hyung, can you teach me how to dance?”

Minho was taken aback, not knowing what to say to this request, not knowing how to even process this request. “I-”

“I know you’re busy and everything,” Hyunjin interrupted, not wanting to hear a refusal from Minho just yet. “I promise, I’m not asking much from you. Even an hour- no, even just half an hour a week is enough for me. I just want to learn from someone who knows their art!”

Before Minho could respond to that, Hyunjin whipped out his phone and showed it to Minho. “I don’t need an answer now. You can text me. If you can’t do it, I understand, but can you please consider it? I can pay!” Hyunjin knew he was sounding way too pushy, but he didn’t want to lose this rare opportunity in front of him.

Minho stood speechless. To Hyunjin’s dismay, he slowly began to shake his head.

“Come on Minho, at least give him your number!” Jisung encouraged. Hyunjin felt extremely thankful to Jisung at the moment.

Minho shot Jisung a killer glare but then sighed. He took Hyunjin’s phone and began typing.

“I’ll think about it, ok?” Minho said, handing Hyunjin back his phone. “Hyunjin, right?”

Hyunjin nodded, a huge smile on his face. “Thank you Minho hyung!” He was definitely glad he had gathered up the courage to ask. “So how do you know Jisung?”

“Oh, I… caught him trying to enter a closed store without permission and reprimanded him,” Minho lamely said. Hyunjin chuckled, that sounded like such a Jisung way of meeting people.

Jisung gawked. “What, no you didn’t! I met you in the-”

“Jisung, let me buy you a drink.”

Jisung was stunned at Minho’s sudden offer. “But- I’m underage, I can’t…”

Minho rolled his eyes. “I MEANT a coffee or something. Geez, what goes on in the head of you high schoolers these days?”

“Cooler things than you!” Jisung retorted back. “Ok fine, I’ll accept this offer.”

“Then come on.” Minho began walking

“See ya Hyunjin!” Jisung waved goodbye and then ran to catch up with Minho.

Hyunjin stood there, not knowing what to make out of all of this. He had been left out, but couldn’t help being curious about what was going on with those two.

The phone in his hand reminded him of the number he now had. Hyunjin smiled. Oh well, the day had been a success anyway.

When Minho had talked about buying a safe coffee, turned out he had only meant for Jisung. He had no problem pouring himself a drink, much to Jisung’s annoyance.

When Minho came to the table with the coffee, he held it firmly in his hands, not letting Jisung touch it just yet. “I didn’t invite you here on a simple coffee outing you know.”

Jisung groaned. “Then why? I need my Americano!”

Minho sat down and stared straight into Jisung’s eyes, letting him know he meant business.

“You don’t tell people we met in the Alley, ok? You will not spill a WORD about what you saw in there. You got lost and then found your way back, ok? Even better, you never went into the Alley in the first place. You don’t tell a soul I’m from the Alley, you don’t talk about my fighting or the knife in my hand. Your lips stay sealed, got it?”

Jisung tapped his fingers on the table, appearing to be thinking. He had kind of expected a talk like this and let an idea form in his head. “Two conditions-”

“No, no conditions.” Minho immediately said. “I saved your life in there, this is how you’ll repay me.”

Jisung smiled slyly. “Yes, that seems fair, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, I’m not a very fair person. If you couldn’t already tell, I don’t like rules. So right now, it looks like I’m the one with the power in my hand and you’re at my beck and call. Isn’t that right,  _ hyung _ ?” He noticed Minho’s loosened grip on the coffee and took it for himself, taking a large sip.

Minho could tell that Jisung’s sudden use of honorifics wasn’t to show some new respect. He was reminding Minho of the position the two were in. If Jisung talked, everyone would believe him, an innocent, if not a bit reckless, high school student. It would be Minho, the older and more conserved under the radar civilian in Nila who would be placed under suspicion. He hated it, but Jisung was the one currently holding the strings.

“Ok fine… name your conditions.”

“Anything?”

“Anything under REASON.”

Jisung smiled. “Ok, number one. You need to agree to teach Hyunjin.”

Minho almost spit out his drink. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me. Text Hyunjin and say you’ll teach him.”

Minho scoffed. “And what benefit does that give you?”

“Simple,” Jisung said. “You’re teaching Hyunjin, and I’m Hyunjin’s classmate. Therefore, that means I’ll get to see you more often.”

“And why the heck would you want to see me?”

“You’re interesting hyung,” Jisung simply said.

Minho definitely needed to get his hearing checked. Interesting? Him? That was something new.

“Even if I attacked you at first sight?” Minho asked.

“You saved me at first sight. You just need more work on making yourself look like the good guy.” 

Minho politely ignored that. “If all you want is to see me more, why not just ask for that? Why bring Hyunjin’s request into it?”

“What? Can’t I be a decent person doing someone else a favour for once?” Jisung asked, innocently batting his eyelashes.

“Doubt.”

Jisung pouted. “So mean.” He sighed. “But seriously. He and I may not be friends, but I’ve known Hyunjin for quite some time. He looks exhausted all the time, and never attends any school events or parties. It’s like he’s a living robot with no rest, though who knows why.”

“But… at the art night, during the performances, ESPECIALLY yours, it was like… the life had gone back into his eyes. It’s the first time I’ve seen him look happy. So maybe I’m just worried about him, and as a concerned human being, I’m asking you to help him in what brings him joy.”

Jisung looked down in embarrassment. As for Minho, his expression softened. Of course Jisung was a good person deep inside. Who was he to judge Jisung with the kind of life he led?

“Ok, I get it. But… if you haven’t already noticed Jisung, I don’t try to associate with people, and you’re now asking me to associate with two people in one condition.” Minho felt panicked at the prospect. He shouldn’t be here, he should be back under the shadows where he belonged.

“Because you don’t want people to know you live in the Alley?” Jisung asked.

Minho nodded. “And… I shouldn’t have you guys associated with me.”

“Ok, let’s see if I can address both points,” Jisung said. “Firstly, your secret’s safe with me. The only risk you have of people knowing where you’re from is if I go spilling to everyone. And we’re making this deal so that  _ doesn’t  _ happen. Plus, wouldn’t you want me in close sight if I know your secret? You know, the whole ‘keep your enemies close’ thing?”

Jisung did have a point. Minho had to admit he had some good convincing skills up his sleeve.

“Plus, if you’re worried about mine and Hyunjin’s safety, which I’m surprised about, then all the more reason to stick around, right? You can make sure I don’t do something stupid.” Jisung concluded. His face became curious. “Why  _ are _ you worried about us? What’s so dangerous about you, besides the whole fighting and owns a knife thing?”

Minho’s face darkened. He leaned forward on the table, the look in his eyes reminding Jisung scarily of his anger back in the Alley.

“Ok, look Jisung. I’ll agree to your conditions. But you don’t get to know ANYTHING about me. Why I live in the Alley, why I can fight, why I don’t talk with people, nothing. Questions about my life aren’t allowed, the sooner you understand that, the easier it will be. Oh, and it goes without saying that you can’t set  _ one foot  _ inside the Alley ever again.”

Jisung’s face paled at how scary Minho could be. “O- okay hyung, that’s not a problem.”

“Changing your mind about wanting to hang out with me more?”

“Pfft no! It takes a lot more than that to scare me.”

“Right, because I could see how courageous you were against being chased by a bunch of weaklings,” Minho muttered. Just like that, the atmosphere around the two lightened up again.

Jisung finished the last sip of his coffee. “Second condition.”

“There’s more!?”

“Duh, I said so before.” Jisung paused for dramatic effect. “You need to show me the moon.”

Minho held back a laugh. “It looks like all my talk before didn’t reach your thick skull. You’re NOT going into the Alley.”

“I’m not asking for now. Someday,” Jisung said. “Maybe when it’s safer, or you feel more confident. Just promise me that one day, you’ll show me the moon.” His face looked so wistful, it surprised Minho.

“It’s that important to you?”

“You bet!” Jisung said. “I want to travel one day. My parents are all set about me getting into a good university in Nila, but screw that. This place is too small for my potential, it can’t even show me a glowing orb in the sky. No, once I graduate, I’m getting out of here and seeing the world! I’ll get the chance to see the moon out there, but if you can show it to me sooner, even better!”

For a second, Jisung looked so much like a little kid fascinated at the big world, that Minho couldn’t help but crack a smile, recognizing a bit of himself in Jisung too.

“Oh my gosh, you can smile- ow!” Jisung got a kick under the table for that.

“Shut it kid. Ok then, it’s a deal. I’ll agree to teach Hyunjin and I’ll show you the moon,  _ if  _ I think it’s safe. Got it?”

“Got it, mom,” Jisung teased.

“Can you be more annoying?”

“Absolutely. You’ll see how much once you spend more time with me. You excited,  _ hyung _ ?”

“There are  1,100,373 words in the Korean language, and probably around 50 English words in my knowledge, but no combination of words can describe how much I want to give you a high five in the face with a chainsaw and be done with it.”

“Wow, you’re smart too, Minho hyung! I feel just as happy to meet you!” Jisung said. He looked at his watch. “Crap, I have stupid tutoring! Make sure to text Hyunjin, I’ll know if you didn’t!” 

Before leaving, he put his hand on Minho’s cup and pulled it away. “Oh, and you shouldn’t drink hyung. It’s a bad influence for me. Right, and alcohol is bad for your health.” With that, he was out the door.

Minho couldn’t believe Jisung. Who was he to tell him what and what not to do? 

He reached for the cup again but his hand stopped. Minho pulled it away and sighed.

He wasn’t thirsty anyway.

Performing under bright lights during the day, in a blood-stained room at night. Minho had thought he’d eventually get used to how crazy his life was, but surprises seemed to keep on waiting at each corner.

He wiped the blood off his knife and put it back into his pocket. The red on his gloves made him flinch. Minho had started wearing gloves for assassination a long time ago, hating the feel of blood against his hands. But they didn’t remove the stain, the smell, the overall reminder that he had taken another life.

Shaking off the feeling, Minho quickly escaped through the window, bringing the stern look back onto his face, ridding it of emotion.

Whenever Minho overheard conversations about the Alley, it made him want to laugh. Poverty? Struggle? Perhaps that was true for the average dweller but as Minho walked into his underground house, spacious and clean, he found it amazing how manipulating single stories could be. Hierarchy existed in the Alley. Wealth existed in the Alley. It was simply the means of acquiring that wealth that separated this place from Nila’s utopia.

Minho washed his gloves and changed clothes. He threw his old shirt out into the trash, knowing that no amount of washing could take away the bloodstains. His dance outfit remained safely tucked away in his closet. Looking at it, all the events that had transpired today came crashing onto him.

He was Lee Know. The assassin with the most blood on his hands in the Alley, with skills nobody could begin to equal to. Privileged son of the Bulsong leaders, the future heir. He was a mystery, a death sentence, feared by all.

But apparently not everyone anymore. There were now two boys who saw him as a normal person. One wanted to learn dance from him. Another seemed to want friendship. Minho had a hard time getting his mind around it. These were foreign concepts. So unheard of, that Minho almost found himself seeking his place back in the shadows instead of reaching out for this new “friendship”.

Maybe he should find some way out of this. Do everything to separate himself from Hyunjin and Jisung, to try to keep them out of the dark realms he knew all too well. Minho could have accomplished it if he wanted to.

But he didn’t. Maybe Jisung was right, Minho needed to keep him close to make sure his secrets were safe. Maybe he  _ could _ keep him out of more trouble.

Or maybe Minho himself wanted some time out in the light. Whatever the reason was, Minho decided he’d go along with Jisung’s conditions. He vowed to keep his own life separate from the two boys. Minho would do everything in his power to make sure Jisung and Hyunjin did not fall into danger. 

He felt almost happy that night.

Usually, the penthouse was empty, almost acting as Minho’s private suite for how alone he was in it most of the time. But that night, Minho froze as he heard typing coming from the office. His father was home.

Minho went up to the office, looking into the room. His father was glued to the computer, not giving Minho a second glance. Maybe he should just give up, there was no use bothering him-

“Minho.”

Minho stood up straight at the call of his name. “Sir.”

“Don’t just loiter out there, come in.”

Minho took a deep breath and walked inside. His father usually never addressed him. What made today different? A part of Minho hoped against all hope that perhaps his efforts and name he had built for himself were finally getting acknowledged.

“Father, I need to give you something.”

“Oh, and what would that be?”

Minho reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “I intercepted this a few weeks ago from a Kalarc spy. The letter was going to make its way to you eventually, so I thought I’d speed up the process.” Minho still remembered meeting the young spy, probably no older than a high schooler. Minho’s body had acted on its own, intercepting the letter and knocking out the boy the minute he had seen his Kalarc emblem. 

His father took the envelope without a word and took the letter out. A few minutes of silence passed as he read it. When he was done, he looked at Minho with an expression he couldn’t distinguish.

“Minho, the seal of the envelope had been glued back on.”

“Yes, it is…” Minho cautiously said, not knowing where this was going.

“So is it safe to assume that you also read the letter inside?”

He asked the question so calmly, Minho had no idea what kind of reaction his answer would stem. That scared him more.

“Yes sir, I di-”

The hit was fast, a second of intense pain. Minho’s cheek stung, but he showed no reaction to the pain, knowing it would only make things worse. When he looked back up, the anger was now imminent on his father’s face.

“You… have NO RIGHT to look at private documents meant for me and your mother!”

“Wha- why not?” Minho felt his temper flare up without warning. “What you’re planning is huge, why wasn’t I told about this before!?”

_ Stop it Minho! What are you trying to accomplish!? _

__ “What you do and don’t get to know is not up to your decision,” his father said.

“It should!” Minho said. “I do the most work in this family, I carry out all the operations you need done. I shouldn’t be treated like a low rank!”

_ And you aren’t Minho. But if you keep on opening your mouth, you will be! _

__ “Maybe that’s where you belong if you keep on thinking you can talk back to me,” his father said coldly.

“You can’t,” Minho said, his words coming out faster than his mind could think. “You need me!”  _ Shut up already! You don’t know whether or not they need you, you just WANT to be needed!  _ “I do everything for you and mother, I should be allowed to know what’s going on. I can help! I deserve the same amount of res-”

The second strike that came knocked Minho to the ground, his hands catching his fall. He tasted blood and his vision blurred.

“You deserve nothing,” his father hissed. “You get a roof over your head, a proper lifestyle, and the family business. We even allow you to take those pointless dance classes in your free time because you do your job the best when you’re in high spirits. Don’t you DARE say you deserve more than what we are giving you. You’ve gotten too over your head Minho.”

Minho felt his hands shaking, not from the physical pain anymore. Every one of his father’s words stung. He had taken countless lives, ridden himself of his humanity, yet it was his father’s words that brought him down to the lowest peg.

“... you do a lot of work for this family Minho,” his father finally said, his voice calm again. “And good work most of the time. Now follow the instructions given to you with no complaints, and I have no doubt you’ll continue to improve.”

Those words… were they compliments? Words of encouragement?

_ He’s praising you Minho. He knows your worth. How could you ever try to talk back to him? _

__ “... I’m sorry.” 

The words came weak out of Minho’s mouth, still on the floor with his father towering over him. He was supposed to be Lee Know, famous assassin of the alley, feared by everyone, fearing nothing.

But in reality, he was just a child, craving approval like a new toy. He was at the mercy of the ones he wanted approval from the most. He was powerless, he had no right to speak out on anything.

“I know you are,” his father said. “Now off you go, I hope we never have to have a discussion like this again.” Minho couldn’t tell whether or not a threat was hidden in that statement.

He got to his feet, but before he could exit, his father spoke one more time.

“Minho, your job this evening, did you do it?”

“Y- Yes sir, I did,” Minho said, not expecting that question. His parents gave out the jobs, never asked about them.

“Good job. Continue that way. You may go.” Minho had no choice but to leave with a final bow.

_ Good job.  _ He hated the pleasure those simple words brought him. Hated how much he wanted to hear those words again. The burn of the strikes before even faded away with those words.

The assassin life had stripped him of his ability to comprehend emotions, of others and himself. Minho didn’t know how he was feeling, didn’t exactly know what he wanted or why he wanted it.

So the only thing he could do was set out again the next day, put the murder back in his eyes, and continue with his normal routine pretending he understood.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Minho will not be making an appearance for the next few chapters. I'm sorry about that, but that was just how the pacing happened to go. Hopefully, this chapter provides enough insight into Minho's life and the type of person he is to make up for the chapters he won't be in.  
> However, I can promise the next few chapters will characterize Jeongin more, along with going into... a few more characters (cause obviously some people are missing, if you guys haven't noticed XD) Hope you guys look forward to that <3


	6. Priviledged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... it's been five chapters already, so it's about time I brought more characters into the building, if you know what I'm saying :)

“Yo!”

Hyunjin looked up from his phone in surprise when Jisung slid next to him on the bus going to school. “Oh, hi!” The two had never been close enough to really talk with each other outside of the classroom, much less sit next to each other on the bus. Hyunjin figured something must have changed over the weekend.

“So, did Minho hyung agree to teach you?” Jisung asked.

Hyunjin grinned. “He texted me on Saturday. In fact… the text came only an hour after you two went for a drink.”

“Oh, really?” Jisung said, trying to play it off. “What a coincidence.”

“You’re a terrible liar Jisung,” Hyunjin said, laughing.

Jisung waved off his obvious involvement with Minho’s agreement to teach Hyunjin. “Shhh, don’t tell people my weakness, it’ll ruin my name you know.”

Hyunjin shot Jisung a smile. He had no idea how Jisung had convinced Minho, and why he had even bothered to in the first place. But as Jisung returned the smile, Hyunjin concluded that maybe Jisung  _ wasn’t  _ the worst person to be friends with.

“So, finally treating Minho hyung with respect, huh?” Hyunjin teased.

“Shut it, it annoys him when I called him ‘hyung’, that’s why I do it!”

“Uh-huh, right, my bad.”

The two talked more as the bus went from stop to stop. Suddenly, everyone went quiet when the next batch of students boarded the bus.

Sitting at the window seat, Hyunjin couldn’t see why. “What’s going on?” he asked Jisung.

“Oh wow…” Jisung said, looking into the aisle. 

“Seungmin’s back!”

Whispers immediately filled the bus. Hyunjin rolled his eyes. Kids at school really were something else. All of their eyes were on one person, but not necessarily for a good reason.

Kim Seungmin. Son of the mayor of Nila. The talk around school was that the mayor had gone on a three-week trip to Japan and had taken his family with him. Looks like he had returned, meaning Seungmin was back at school.

Seungmin ignored all the eyes on him and took an empty seat, nobody else bothering to occupy it. One thing Hyunjin had come to learn was that if being poor and from the Alley was the number one reason to get bullied, being rich took an easy second spot. 

“Luckyy, I want to go to Japan,” Jisung said. “Do you think he’ll tell me what it’s like if I ask him?”

Hyunjin shook his head. “Don’t risk it. If some of those boys even get one look of you talking to Seungmin, you’ll be labelled as a suck-up for the rest of the year.”

Jisung groaned. “You’re right. Geez, who even lets those jerks come here? Always having to choose that one person to be a target.”

The rest of the bus ride passed smoothly. But it really made Hyunjin wonder what it was like to have the entire student body against you for something that was never your choice in the first place.

Jeongin knew he had made a horrible decision when he had let himself be seen walking out of the Alley when going to the bus stop, when he got welcomed by a push into the wall the minute he stepped inside school grounds. 

“Hah, how are you even able to show yourself at school after exiting that dump?”

“Don’t touch him, he might be contaminated!”

“Aww, is he going to cry?”

Jeongin admitted that his eyes were a bit red, but not from the teasing. He honestly just wasn’t in the mood for any of this. On Saturday, he had heard a scream at night. He didn’t chat much with the Alley residents, but the next day, it didn’t take long to learn a murder had occurred in a house two streets away. 

Jeongin knew that shady stuff happened in the Alley, but the fact that it had taken place so close to his house this time scared him to death. He didn’t want to go back there in the evening, but he had no choice. Did the kids at school really think he WANTED to live there?

“Let go of me,” Jeongin muttered.

“Huh, what was that? Speak louder!” Jeongin flinched as the boys pushed him further.

Suddenly, one of the boys nudged his friend. “Hey, look over there!”

When they did, snickers filled the group. “Hah, Seungmin’s back! Let’s go!”

Jeongin finally got a breath of fresh air as the boys suddenly left, instead surrounding themselves around… another student?

“Hey SEUNGMIN, finally back to ‘grace’ our school again?” The boys jeered.

Seungmin shot the boys a fake grin. “Hey guys, did you miss me?”

“Yeah right, don’t go acting all high and mighty rich boy!”

“How creative,” Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I would have thought your insults would have gotten better after three weeks.”

“Why did you bother to take the bus with us commoners instead of your fancy limo, rich boy?”

“And miss the chance to see such pleasant people like you guys!? Of course not!” Seungmin’s tone was dripping with sarcasm and confidence at the same time.

It didn’t take long for the boys to depart with final catcalls and disappointment. Jeongin watched the entire scene with wide eyes.

If only he had the confidence to talk back to those bullies like that, to make them go away. He didn’t understand how Seungmin did it so easily. Jeongin found himself holding a strange kind of respect for him. Despite being practically the richest kid in school, Seungmin never bragged, never took on a mean attitude like the rest of his classmates, and didn’t mind Jeongin’s existence, unlike everyone else. 

Before going inside the school, Seungmin looked back to see whether the kid his classmates had been harassing before was still there.

He wasn’t. Whoever he was, he had Seungmin’s sympathies. Seungmin shook his head and entered the building, wondering whether there ever would come a time where they would stop being judged for having what was beyond their control.

Jeongin couldn’t believe he had let himself be tricked.

Putting your foot out so some unsuspecting fool would trip on it was the oldest trick in the book. Jeongin never thought he’d one day not watch where he was going and fall for it. Literally.

His hands scraped the floor and he let out a yelp that he really wished no one had heard. Laughter rang out all around him as his books went falling onto the floor. He tried to drown it out but this time, it was too loud for him to ignore.

The only thing that prevented the boys from making a bigger fool out of Jeongin was the school bell. The hallway quickly emptied, leaving Jeongin alone to pick up his books.

“So I guess this is the cliche part where I help you pick up your books, huh?”

Jeongin was surprised that someone else had remained in the hallway. When he looked up, he realized that person was none other than Seungmin.

“Haven’t watched many movies or books, so can’t really help you with what’s cliche or not,” Jeongin joked. He didn’t know why he had let himself loosen up like that, but he felt no ill intent coming from Seungmin.

Seungmin laughed. “Guess you won’t make fun of me for helping then.” He got down on the floor and gathered some of the papers that had fallen out of the binders.

“Thanks,” Jeongin said. He felt a little awkward, talking to a fellow student this nicely. But it felt good at the same time.

“Hey, is that Seungmin!?”

“What’s he doing kneeling on the floor like that? Always thought rich kids faint at the sign of dirt!” Evil laughter followed. Jeongin really hated that sounds, even if they weren’t targeted at him.

Seungmin grimaced. “I… should better go.” He handed Jeongin the papers. “Here!” He went off further down the hallway, away from the sound of those kids.

Jeongin saw Seungmin walk away, feeling a bit guilty. He remembered admiring Seungmin for talking back to those bullies just this morning. He shouldn’t have thought that way. Nobody wanted to be around mean kids that made you feel like trash. It must have been exhausting for Seungmin to try to deal with them.

He must have decided that instead of tiring himself out again, it was simply easier to walk away.

Jeongin had been thankful that Seungmin had helped him that afternoon. He had thought wrong again. He should have known that no good things happened to him without consequences.

This time, the push into the wall was far more painful. Jeongin wanted nothing more than for the boys to let go, to stop the ache in his back, but they held steady.

“What are you doing sucking up to the mayor’s son!?”

“I wasn’t…” Jeongin tried to explain himself. “I was-”

“Shut up! Do you honestly think that associating yourself with royalty with make scum like you any better? You’re never going to get the stench of the Alley off of you, accept it!”

“Hah, I don’t think this school would be able to handle those two freaks if they join hands!”

“Ain’t that the truth!”

A hand pushed Jeongin to the ground but at that point, it was the words of those boys that hurt him more than the impact of his legs to the ground. Now, he really wanted to cry.

Was this what he got for someone being nice to him? Was he not allowed any form of kindness just because of where he was from? Did it look like he had wanted to live in the Alley? That he wanted to go back there tonight, knowing that someone had died just a few houses down, knowing that there was no certainty he wouldn’t be next?

Jeongin was suffocating in that place. And in the only place where he got freedom, the kids at school suffocated him more. There was no place where he belonged, no place where he could feel safe. Jeongin was just so damn tired of it all-

“Repeat that again! I dare you.”

That line hadn’t come from Jeongin or the bullies. It was a new voice, one that had just arrived. When Jeongin saw who that voice belonged, he never predicted that a day would bring him so many fateful encounters with one individual.

Seungmin stood there, anger on his face.

The boys only smirked. “Well, if it isn’t the second freak. Repeat what again, huh?”

Seungmin walked closer towards the boys. “So my ‘royal self’ isn’t allowed to go anywhere near other actually decent people? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“And so what if we are?”

“Lay your hands off him,” Seungmin said icily.

“Make me.” Jeongin could only watch in horror as a fist was about to make contact with his face.

Until it was caught in midair.

“Dude… what’s your problem? Let go of me!” The boy’s strained speech alerted to the fact that Seungmin had an iron solid grip.

“I’m afraid that talking to you guys a second longer is going to make me as pathetic as you, so I’ll make this quick,” Seungmin said, staring straight into the boy’s eyes. His eyes held none of that carefreeness from the morning. He meant business.

“If you guys have a problem with me, say it to my face. If you’re so against seeing me interacting with other human beings, corner  _ me  _ behind the school. But don’t you DARE take it out on someone else for your stupid hate against me.”

Seungmin tightened his grip, making the boy squirm. Jeongin again held back a laugh, trying to keep himself above the antics of these boys.

“Get out.” Seungmin’s tone left no room for questioning. He let go of the boy’s hand.

“Stupid rich kid,” the boy muttered, massaging his arm. “Let’s go guys.” None of the boys made eye contact with Seungmin as they scurried around the corner.

Jeongin couldn’t believe it. Again this boy had come to help him. He would feel useless for being unable to defend himself if it hadn’t been for how unusual this event was for him.

“You’re strong,” was the only intellectual thing Jeongin managed to say.

Seungmin looked at Jeongin and shrugged. “I guess I have taken a few more classes than the average person.” His expression looked embarrassed at the fact.

“That’s cool.” Jeongin smiled. Seungmin looked surprised at that but maintained his demeanour. 

Jeongin looked out into the city and then remembered with a sinking heart the place he’d have to go back to. 

Seungmin must have noticed his face fall. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, I-” It wasn’t nothing. It was something. Something terrifying.

“I don’t want to go home!” he blurted out instead, regretting it immediately.

Seungmin raised an eyebrow. Did he realize where Jeongin was from? Was he having second thoughts? 

Jeongin’s doubts evaporated when Seungmin instead gave a warm smile. “You can come to my house then.” He put his hand out to help Jeongin up. “I’m-”

Seungmin paused. This boy probably already knew his name. Why bother to give it again?

But no, this time, he wasn’t Seungmin, son of the mayor, or Seungmin, the rich boy. Seungmin felt like he had entered a place where he could start over and introduce himself without any labels.

“I’m Kim Seungmin.”

Jeongin took Seungmin’s hand and got up. “Nice to meet you Seungmin. I’m Yang Jeongin.”

Jeongin waited with bated breath to see if Seungmin would recognize his name, even change his mind.

Seungmin kept on proving him wrong that day. “Good to know. Let’s go Jeongin.”

Jeongin followed him. No, he walked beside him. For the first time, both boys felt like they had finally found someone who might just treat them like an equal.


End file.
